Cement fence-post.



J. F. MOELROY. UEMENT FENCE POST.

APPLICATION FILED 0011.22, 1908.

Patented Oct. 19,1909.

An l ,uk ,4 J L iii fl JOHN r. MOELROY, or CEDAR. mirri-js, IOWA.

CEMENT FENCE-POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

Application filed October 22, 1908. Sera1 No. 458,966.

To all whom it may concem.'

Be it known that I, JOHN F. MCELROY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cement Fence-Posts, o-f which the following is` a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to fence-posts in which there is employed a cement body provided with a metallic reinforce or reinforcements to strengthen the post and permit of reducing to as great an extent as is possible, the amount of cement required, where to cheapen the cost of production, and also to permit of the post being made lighter in weight than would otherwise be the case.

The present invention is an improvement over the device shown, described, and claimed in Letters Patent No. 836,128 granted to me November 20, 1906, and one of the objects of the present invention is to obtain the greatest possible strength in the post out of a given amount of material, and without exposing any of the reinforcing elements of the ost.

p Another and main object of the present invention is to provide a cement reinforced post of substantially T-shape in cross section or end view, and to provide a post with novel wire-attaching means so connected to the post that the latter has a perfectly smooth and solid face at the front or face to which the wires are attached.

Further, the invention aims to improve the construction and arrangement generally of fence-posts of this character, and the invention consists in the features of construction and combination of parts as hereinafter described and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and wherein like numerals of reference will be employed for designating like parts throughout the dierent views of the drawings, in which Figure l, is a perspective view of a post constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2, is a front elevation thereof, showing the post embedded in the ground, and line wires attached thereto. Fig. 8, is

, a side elevation of the same, the line wires being in section. Fig. 4, is a rear elevation of the post with the line wires attached thereto. Fig. 5, is a horizontal sectional view of the post showing one of the T- shaped reinforcing elements, and also showing a line wire attached to the post. Fig. 6, is a detached detail perspective view of one of the T-shaped reinforcing elements. Fig. 7 is a similar view of one of the fastening devices employed for securing the line or other wires to the post.

Wy invention may be said to reside in the particular shape of the post, in connection with the particular form of reinforcing elements whereby I am enabled to obtain a very strong and durable post, light in weight, and having a broad front face to receive the wires to be secured to the post.

As constructed, and as clearly seen in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the post is substantially T-shaped in end view or in cross section, and, as will be evident from Figs. l to 4C, tapers from end to end, the upper end of the postvbeing the smaller in dimension. The body also tapers from the front to the rear face. The cement body 1, is provided on opposite sides, at the forward face, with two laterally-projecting longitudinally-extending flanges 2, thus providing a broad front face 3 to receive the line or other wires t of the fence to be attached to the posts. These laterally-extending flanges 2, are provided with apertures 5 extending inwardly into the flanges 2 from the rear faces of the latter, which apertures do not, however, extend entirely through the flanges but only a sufcient distance therein to afford a good grip or hold for that arm of the wire-fastening device which is engagedin the apertures. By extending these apertures only part way through the flanges, the front face 3 of the post is left perfectly plain and unmarked so that the said front face will present a neat appearance. These apertures are made quite close together in the flanges, as is clearly shown in Fig. 4t, so as to afford means for attaching the fasteners at any de sired point, as may be required according to the nature of wire fencing which is to be secured to the post.

The wires are attached to the post by means of fasteners 6, formed from a single piece of wire bent to form an arm 7 which enters and seats in the aperture 5, and a forwardly-extending side arm 8, which engages the side face of the flange 2, and is provided on its forward or free end with a hook or eye 9 to be engaged with the wire 4.

y shaped in cross section, the reinforcing elements must be so shaped as to thoroughly strengthen the same. To this end, I provide a plurality of substantially T-shaped reinforcingy elements arranged at spaced'intervals throughout the length of the post, and connectedV by longitudinally extending metallic reinforcements as will now be described. Each of the T-shaped reinforcing elements may be, and preferably is formed of asingle piece of wire, as clearly seen in Figs. 5 and 6. The wire is bent to form the arm 12, and the T-end comprising arms 14, '15. At the extremities of the T-end the wire is coiled to form eyes 16, 17 respectively, and the free end of the arm 12 is coiled to provide one or more eyes 18, in this instance two being shown. It will be evident however, that this strengthening member may be formed with as many eyes as may be desired, either in the armV 12 thereof, or in the T-end of the member. These eyes receive vertically disposed rods 19 and 20, respectively, the former engaging in the eyes 16, 17 at the ends of the T-end of the member, and the rods 20 engaging in the eyes 18 of the arm 1. 'Ihe rods 19 are located in the flanges 2, 2, and the T-end of the member connecting the two rods, serves to strengthen the wider front portion of the post, whereas the plurality of rods disposed in the body 1 and connected by the arm 12 of the strengthening member impart the desired strength to the main portion of the cement body.

It is to be observed that with` my improved construction of post, that although I have herein shown and described a speciiic form of fastener, yet it will be evident, a fastener for the wires o f the fence may be readily formed from a piece of wire if the specific form of fastener shown is not provided or at hand, and that by the provision Y of a multiplicity of apertures, fence wire, or

woven wire'may be secured to the post without necessitating stretching of the strands of the wire so as to bring same into position to be engaged by the fasteners. The wide front face on the post affords a good rest for the wire, and means being provided whereby the strands may be secured to the post at opposite side edges of the front face, the fence wire of whatever nature will be easily and firmly secured.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire. to secure by .Letters Patent is :e Y

1. In a fence post, a substantially T- shaped body position, T-shaped reinforcements formed from a single piece of wire4 V embedded in said body and bent to provide a plurality of eyes, two of said eyes arrangedk in close proximity to each other, said'reinforcements being arranged one over the other and with the eyes of one reinforcement 1n alinement with the eyes of the other rein-V forcement, longitudinally disposed rods projecting through the alining eyes, and wire connecting devices engaging in the rear face of the head portion of said body-said connecting devices further engaging the rear of and each end of the-head portion of said 'i body, said wire connecting devices project-y ing beyond the plane of the forward face ofY said head portion. 2. In a fence post, a substantially T- shaped body portion, T-shaped reinforcements formed from asingle piece of wire vembedded in said body and bent to provide a plurality of eyes, two ofrsaid eyes arranged in close proxiniityto each other, said reinforcements being arranged one over the other and with the eyes of one reinforcement in alinement with-.the eyes of the other reinforcement, longitudinallydisposed rods projecting through the alining eyes, and wire connecting devices engaging inthe rear face of the head portion of said body, said'con- .necting devicesfurther engagingthe rear Vof and each end of the head portion of said body, said wire connecting devices' projecting beyond the plane ofthe forward face of said head portion, the parts of the wire connecting devicesY which extend Vin the rear face of said head portion of said body of a length as to terminate at a point 'removed from the forward face of said head portion of said body. K

` 3. In Va fence post, a substantially T- shaped body portion, T-shaped reinforcements formed from a single piece of wire embedded in said body and bent to provide a plurality of eyes, said reinforcements arranged one over the other and with the eyes of one reinforcement inralinement with the eyes of the other reinforcement, Vlongitudinally disposed rods projecting through the alining eyes, and wire-connecting devices engaging in the rear face of the head portion of said body, said connecting devices'fnrther engaging the reary of and eachlend of theA 

